ALEX TECZA
Mt. Lebanon
The past week: Tecza rushed for 216 yards and three touchdowns in Class 6A No. 2 Mt. Lebanon’s 36-13 win vs. Upper St. Clair on Friday, including a spectacular 80-yard score to give the Blue Devils a 17-point lead in the first quarter. Tecza added another highlight-reel 50-yard run late in the game to set up Mt. Lebanon’s final touchdown.
Check this out: Tecza, who also plays lacrosse, holds scholarship offers in football from Duquesne, Robert Morris, Army, Navy and Penn, among others. The 6-foot, 195-pound senior said he plans to make his college decision sometime in the next few weeks.
Have you gone back to watch any of your highlights from Friday’s game yet? If so, which run was your favorite? I think the first [80-yard touchdown] was a game-changing point, but then again, I think the 50-yard run that was shortly after their score. … I think both plays were super pivotal points in the game, and that’s just what you have to do. You have to make plays. I don’t think I could pick a favorite.
You spent some time signing autographs for young fans after the game against Upper St. Clair. Was that the first time you’ve had anybody ask for your autograph? I think it was. It’s cool. It’s kind of mind-boggling that the community is behind you. I’ve heard from countless parents; a lot of people told my mom how cool it was and how nice it was of me. But I think it’s what you have to do — you have to give back.
If you had the first overall pick in a WPIAL/City League fantasy football league, who would you draft? I would probably take [Mt. Lebanon wide receiver] Eli Heidenreich, to be honest. Obviously, I’d love to take myself, but I think Eli is something different. Every time he gets the ball, he does something with it. He’s such a good run-after-the-catch kind of kid. His routes are really, really good. I know because I’ve guarded him in one-on-ones [at practice].
What’s your favorite exercise to do when you’re lifting weights? I think my favorite exercise to do would be cleans. I think all-around, cleans are the most important movement to do, just for explosiveness, speed and power. Especially at the running back position, you’re always moving those legs and driving those shoulders, so I think cleans are really, really important.
Do you have any pets? I do. I have one dog, and my sister has three turtles, so I guess that counts.
What kind of dog? She’s a goldendoodle, and her name is Rooney. We named her after Art Rooney.
— By Steve Rotstein
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CASIE YONKER
West Allegheny
The past week: In her first high school football game, Yonker kicked three field goals and made four extra points as West Allegheny defeated Trinity, 43-34. Yonker converted field goals from 20, 28 and 25 yards.
Check this out: Yonker is only a freshman. The WPIAL has had numerous female kickers over the past few decades, but how many had three field goals in their first game? Yonker also handled kickoffs and booted one into the end zone for a touchback. Yonker (5 feet 7 inches) also is a starter on the West Allegheny girls soccer team.
Can you tell us, in short story form, the journey to being West Allegheny’s starting kicker as a freshman? Well, at the end of seventh grade, one of my good friends, Brock Cornell, was talking to me and joking around after he heard I won a soccer tournament with my Beadling team. Jokingly, he said I should come to summer workouts and be the eighth-grade team’s kicker. So I went to a workout, had a lot of fun and ended up kicking. Then I weighed the pros and cons of playing both varsity football and varsity high school soccer. I decided to go to a high school football workout in June. I had a lot of fun; the guys were all supportive and very nice to me. I decided to play, and I became the kicker.
Were you nervous at all the day of the game, or are you a cool type? The whole week, I really felt nerves. Then before the game, I thought I left the ball bag at the high school. Once I realized I didn’t, all my worries went away. Once I stepped on the field, I realized I was doing this for fun. It’s not a job. It’s a high school sport.
Would you ever like to play a position? I would absolutely love it. But I don’t think I have the permission of my parents (laughs) — or my soccer team.
What’s your maximum length for a field goal? During practice, from the right hash, I’ve made a 43-yarder.
What does Casie Yonker do for fun away from sports? I hang out with friends, hang out with my family and I listen to a lot of older music.
If you listen to older music, tell me an old group you like. I love the Beatles.
Really? Not many kids would say that, would they? I can’t think of many. I have one other friend who listens to them. I have a vinyl record collection of the Beatles in my room.
Do you have any thoughts of someday kicking football in college? I’m definitely having talks with my friends and parents because I still don’t know if I want to play college sports. I want to go to college for academics. If I do play a sport in college, I’d say I’d go for soccer.
— By Mike White
First Published: September 8, 2021, 10:15 a.m.
Updated: September 8, 2021, 12:55 p.m.
